Signal.



No. 860,935. PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

' w. H. NELSON.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2'], 1907.

T- I f; f b

A TTORNE Y5 WILLIAM H. NELSON, OF KINGSVILLE, MISSOURI.

SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed April 27,1907. Serial No- 370.682.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kingsville, in the county of Johnson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to pneumatic signals and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a signal of the character indicated which consists of semaphores located at desired points along a railway track and which are automatically operated by pneumatic pressure effected by an approaching train the flanges of the wheels of which operate the air-pump to move the semaphore from danger to safe position. Means is also provided for automatically stopping a train equipped with an air brake system when the semaphore is raised to danger position, thus, preventing the train from proceeding to any great distance beyond the signal even should the attention of the train operators'be diverted from the signal or should the same be unobserved as a consequence of carelessness and inattention.

In the accompanying drawingz-Figure 1 is a top plan view of a section of the track with the signal and signal-operating means applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the track and a side elevation of one of the signal stands partly in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the lower portion of the signal stand, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a trip showing the same in relative position with the track rail.

At desired points along the track 1 the hollow stands 2 are erected. The semaphore signals 3 are pivoted to the upper ends of the stands 2 in the usual manner. The pump cylinders 4 are located below the track 1 and are connected by means of the pipes 5 with the lower portions of the stands 2. Each stand 2 is provided with a piston 6 which is connected by means of a rod 7 with a link 30 which in turn is connected with the weighted end 3 of the signal 3. The arm 31 is pivoted to the stand 2 and its free end is connected with the semaphore 3 by the rod 32. Consequently as the said piston 6 rises and falls in the said stand the semaphore 3 will move conversely. Each pump cylinder 4 is provided with a reciprocating piston 8 to which is attached a piston rod 9. The shaft 10 is journaled between the rails of the track 1 and is provided with a crank11 which is connected with a piston rod 9. The said'shaft 10 is also provided with the cranks 12, 12 and all of said cranks are preferably curved along their longitudinal axes. The rods 13, 13 are pivoted at their inner ends to the cranks 12, 12 and at their outer ends to the bars 14, 14. The said bars are provided with the curved portions 15 which are pivoted at points 16 between the rails of the track 1 and upon opposite sides of the shaft 10. The said bars 14 are also provided with the inwardly inclined ends 17 to which the rods 13 are connected. The intermediate portions of the bars 14 normally lie flat against the inner sides of the rails of the track 1. The bolts 18 pass transversely through the rails of the track 1 and through the adjacent bars 14. The coil springs 19 surround the outer portion of the said bolts 18 and bear at their inner ends against the outer side of the rails of the track 1 and at their outer ends against the nuts 20 which are screwed upon the said bolts 18. The tension of the springs 19 is such as to have a tendency to hold the intermediate portions of the bars 14 against the rails of the track 1. An air pipe 23 (located upon the train and making up a portion of the trainpipe system) is provided .with a valve 24, the stem 25 of which normally projects above the engine cab and across the path of which the arm 31 extends when the semaphore is up at danger position. Each stand 2 is provided with a safety valve 26 and an escape valve 27. The wire or cord 28 is attached at one end to the stem of the valve 27 and extends along the track 1 to a bridge or other danger point. The smaller cylinders 29 are alsov located under the track 1 and lie parallel with the cylinders 4. A pipe 33 connects each cylinder 29 with a stand 2. Each cylinder 29 holds a piston 34 to which is attached a piston rod 35. The lever 36 is fulcrumed to one of the cross-ties of the track and is pivotally connected at its ends with the piston rods 35 and 9. A pipe 37 connects with the lower end of each stand 2 and extends along the track 1 for a desired distance and is provided with a valve 38. The trip 39 is connected with the valve 38 and has an end lying adjacent one of the rails of the track 1 and within the path of the wheel rims of the train.

When the parts are arranged as above described the signal operates as followsz-A train approaching upon the track 1 will depress the trip 39 and open the valve 38 in the pipe 37. This permits the column of air previously confined in the stand 2 to escape and consequently the piston 6 and its connections will be forced down by the Weighted end 3 of the semaphore 3. Thus the semaphore is elevated and as the said stand may be located at a crossing or other point the approach of the train is announced by the signal. When the train arrives at the pumps the flanges of the car wheels come in contact with the bars 14 and swing the same inwardly upon their pivots. Through the rods 13 and the cranks 12 the shaft 10 is partially rotated as each Wheel passes by and through the crank 11, the piston rod 9 and piston in the pump 4 is reciprocated. Thus,

air is forced from the pump cylinder through pipe 5 into the lower portion of the stand 2. The air pressure elevates the piston 6 in the stand 2 and through the connecting rods 7, the semaphore 3 is lowered or swung down and the weighted end 3 thereof elevated. When the air in the stand 2 acquires a certain pressure the surplus air will escape from the stand through the safety valve 26. Thus as atrain passes the semaphore is automatically lowered by pneumatic pressure which indicates that the track ahead is safe. If the condition of the track ahead should be otherwise, as when a bridge is down or has settled or a land slide or an accident has occurred the wire 28 is drawn and the valve 27 is opened, thus, the signal 3 will remain in elevated or danger position and the approaching train may be stopped. If, for any reason, a train should not stop at any one of the signals when the semaphore is raised the valve stem will strike the arm 31 and the valve 24 will be opened. Thus, operating the air brake upon the train which will be brought to a standstill.

'By rearrangement of the different parts of the apparatus herein described it may obviously be used for block and track crossing signals as well as a danger signal.

When sufficient air has been pumped into the stand 2 to cause the semaphore mounted thereon to swing down, the air pressure operating though the pipe 33 will move the piston 34 in the cylinder 29, which in turn through the rod 35 will swing the lever 36 against the tension of the springs 19, exerted through the parts 14,

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:-

1. A signal comprising a stand located adjacent a track, a signal mounted upon said stand, a reciprocating piston located in the stand and being operatively connected with the signal, a pump connected with the stand, bars pivoted between the track rails and having portions which normally lie against the inner sides thereof, a shaft journaled between said bars and having a crank operatively connected with said pump and cranks which are operatively connected with said bars.

2. A signal comprising a stand located adjacent a track, a piston mounted for reciprocation therein, a signal mounted upon the stand and being operatively connected with said piston, a pump connected with said stand, a shaft journaled between the rails of the track and having a crank operatively connected with said pump, bars having curved end portions pivoted between the track rails and upon opposite sides of said shaft and having their free ends inwardly inclined and being operatively connected with said shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I 

